South London's Ain’t, which we dubbed one of the Best New Artists of 2024, have released their second single of the year. The follow-up to last month's “Pirouette” is titled "Jude." There's a tactility to it, contrasting between gentle and volatile notes, that recalls Hole or the Smashing Pumpkins.
"Sharpen your knife/ Twisting up my side," vocalist Hanna Baker Darch sings in the first verse. Her voice is soft and bruised until she reaches the chorus, erupting into a enraged yell.
“George [Ellerby] wrote the main riff and named the song Jude, which reminded me of a pub called Jude the Obscure, where I went with a friend from university," Darch shared. "He's a brilliant writer and is doing a PhD in philosophy, but he channels his talents into relentless overthinking. Some of the lyrics reflect the bitter pints-deep tone of our conversations, which has been described as the dynamic of a witch-hag and her raccoon accomplice.”
Listen to "Jude" below.
